[Starting this month, primary publication of the Lead Sheet moves to Jazz Police. Click the link below to read the full Lead Sheet. Updated 2-23-2018]
An old
favorite (Sergio Mendes), hot horn (Donny McCaslin), guitar legend (Stanley
Jordan), and young jazz hero (John Raymond) head the list of visitors this
month, while the Jazz Women All-Stars and other local star ensembles (Bottomless
Pit, Lulu's Playground, Red 5, many more) bring the best in the Midwest to
metro venues in February.
Big Gigs This Month
Thursday, February 1. Making their Vieux Carre' debut, Bottomless Pit has entertained for a few
years now, featuring Weather Report drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt, guitar genie
Joel Shapira, sax great Pete Whitman, and veteran bassist Tom Lewis.
Pianist/trumpeter Jon Pemberton opens the evening.
Friday, February 2. The recent Winter Jazz Festival at
Crooners opened with the students of the Dakota Combo and closed with one of
their most accomplished alumni, trumpeter Jake
Baldwin. Leading his quartet (with Joe Strachan on piano, Ted Olsen on
bass, and Miguel Hurtado on drums) in the Dunsmore Room for the festival, Jake
now brings the band to the Illicit Jazz Workshop at Jazz Central tonight.
Seems Framework is playing more often this
winter and that is a very good thing. Jay Epstein, Chris Bates and Chris Olson
make trio magic in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners, on the Friday "late
show" series. Another guitar guru, Park
Evans performs at Vieux Carre' with vocalist Katie Gearty.